


with age, wisdom

by misura



Category: Machine City Knights - Erin A. Bisson
Genre: Other, Post-Canon, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-07 22:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14090691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: [Aren't you a little old to be scared of the dark, El?][Aren't you a littlestupidnot to be scared?]





	with age, wisdom

Bad idea, of course, to go and risk a perfectly solid partnership for the sake of sex, but times like these, Eleni couldn't bring herself to regret it - besides of which, that particular ship had sailed some weeks ago (or however the saying went; Eleni was a bit vague on what, exactly, she should imagine a 'sailing ship' to look like).

It had been nice, those first few days of darkness, to fall asleep knowing someone had her back, that she wasn't going to wake up alone and scared in the middle of the night.

At least, she wasn't going to wake up _alone_. Scared, oh yes.

_[Aren't you a little old to be scared of the dark, El?]_

_[Aren't you a little_ stupid _not to be scared?]_

Sex was a great way to take her mind off of things she was happier not thinking about. Halcyon being dual-sexed had taken a bit of getting used to - when and how did you stop to ask who was going to put what where, and whether or not the contents of Eleni's nightstand were required?

_[Why choose? We can do it all.]_

_[Not at the same time, unless you're a_ lot _more flexible than I am.]_

A grin. _[More experienced, certainly. As I keep telling you, you're too picky, Eleni my dear. Not that I blame you for holding out for the best ...]_

Too damn smug by half. _[Like_ you're _not.]_

_[Turning down the curious doesn't count. And let's not get side-tracked here. If you're going to be any good on patrol tomorrow at all, you'd better get at least_ some _sleep tonight.]_

_[Oh, like you're still young enough to pull an all-nighter.]_

Laughter in their eyes. _[Willing to give it a try if you are.]_

They'd checked in only barely in time the next morning, Eleni convinced every single person she spoke to had known what they'd gotten up to last night - and were silently judging her for her unprofessional behavior.

_[You, but not me?]_

_[Well.]_

_[You're a sweetheart, El.]_ As if that wasn't bad enough - and true, she'd heard worse, they'd hugged her. _[Relax. Not like we're the only partners around who're having a bit of fun outside of working hours. Long as we keep our heads, nobody's going to mind. Just try to keep your hands to yourself while we're on the job. I know that's going to be hard ... ]_

_[Speak for yourself.]_ She wondered who Halcyon was referring to. They wouldn't have made up something like that only to make her feel better, surely, but Eleni hadn't noticed anyone acting or looking differently these past days or weeks. Months? _Years?_

_[I might tell you, if you make it worth my while.]_

_[Forget it. I'm not that curious.]_

_[And you're smart enough to figure it out on your own, anyway, hm? That's my Eleni.]_

_[Anyone ever tell you they want to kill you, Ci?]_

_[Nobody worth mentioning. Aside from you, that is. And we both know you don't really mean it.]_

Eleni knew no such thing, and would have liked to say so, except that, fine, she did know - and she ought to know better than to let them get to her like this. _Just nerves,_ she told herself. This new strange world without Aidoneus had everyone on edge.

Riots happened almost daily, as if people thought there was anyone around able to magically fix things, get the system that had taken care of a million-and-one things on its own up and running again with the intelligence behind it dead and gone.

_[They're just scared.]_

Eleni appreciated the lack of a tacked on reminder that the rioters weren't the only ones. She, at least, had a direct line to Surya, who knew as much as anyone what was going on with the Tree. Not that _that_ lifted her spirits much. Days on which any progress was made were few and far between.

_[At least there's no danger of getting bored.]_

Eleni sighed. _[Right now, I could settle for some boredom.]_

_[A few days off, even, to properly enjoy and appreciate your partner's many gifts?]_

_[I get a day off, I'm going to spend it relaxing. Sleeping, possibly.]_

_[You poor thing. You really_ are _getting old, El.]_

_[Beats the alternative of not aging another day, by virtue of being dead.]_

Halcyon sobered. _[We've got all the time in the world. You want us to slow down a bit, we can do that. If you want, we can even pick a date night.]_

_[You'd settle for having sex only once a week?_ Now _who's getting old?]_


End file.
